The Waterford Wildcats and Fort Frye Cadets are both 1-1 going into their matchup Friday in Beverly, but both teams have taken completely different routes in getting to this point.
After taking a 38-13 beating in week one against River, the Cadets delivered a 45-20 beating of their own last week against Belpre. The Wildcats got off to hot start in the opening week, defeating Miller 34-14, but then lost a 16-14 heart breaker against Federal Hocking in week two.
Both teams are talented, especially in the backfield. For the Cadets, quarterback Chandler Lang, running back Spencer Lang, and fullback Max Alsbach have accounted for all of Fort Frye's 58 points in the first two weeks.
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PAM BROOKER Special to The Times
Fort Frye quarterback Chandler Lang (11) looks to pitch out as Belpre’s defense pursues in last Friday’s game in Beverly. The Cadets are scheduled to host Waterford this Friday night.
Last week, the trio had 24 carries for 347 yards and five touchdowns. Chandler Lang also passed for 104 yards and two scores, with 89 of those yards and both scores going to Spencer Lang.
There is still room for improvement on Fort Frye's end, however.
"We have to execute," said Cadet head coach Eric Huck. "We still made mistakes last week that we cannot make this week. We have to play better, and I think we're up to the challenge. It's going to be an awfully exciting game."
For Waterford, the duo of Derek Brown and Hunter Munjas have caused havoc in the ground game. Munjas has rushed for 197 yards and two scores in the first two weeks, while Brown has contributed 196 yards and a score in that time. Quarterback Brian Moore has also performed well, throwing for a touchdown last week and running for two touchdowns in week one.
"Our backs are playing well," said Waterford head coach Tom Tucker. "The line is doing pretty well. We're not consistent enough right now, though. We need to work on getting Brian (Moore) more involved in the offense. We'll work on that this week."
The Wildcat defense has also played well, averaging just 15 points allowed in the first two weeks. Defensive back Austin Shriver had a 62-yard interception return for a score in week one.
Last season, it was all Fort Frye, as the Cadets trounced the Wildcats by a score of 34-0.
In this rivalry, however, which features two schools separated by about one mile, you can toss all stats and past records out the window.
"It's a big game every year," Huck said. "It's always been big, going back to when I played and well before I played. The kids know how big it is, and it's always an exciting week."
